Television

Thursday, July 20, 2017

DA candidate: Cutting health care 'jeopardizes public safety'

Larry Krasner, the Democratic candidate for Philadelphia district attorney, wrote in the Philadelphia Inquirer:In the name of health-care reform, politicians in
Washington and Harrisburg [propose] . . . "curtailing important
Obamacare protections and cutting back on Medicaid — threatens the lives of
tens of thousands of Philadelphians."

It also jeopardizes public safety. When people are
faced with chronic health problems or a life-threatening situation involving a
family member, and have no options or support, they will act in desperation.
When people are unable to afford treatment for behavioral health issues because
they lack insurance, the criminal justice system often becomes the only
societal structure that intervenes.

Let’s look specifically at the impact these Medicaid
cuts would have. Medicaid is not just a source of health care for millions of
Americans, which allows them to remain productive and to take care of other
family members. It is also the source of drug treatment and mental health
services for the most vulnerable members of our population, including people
reentering society from incarceration.

The Medicaid expansion of the Affordable Care Act
enables 160,000 more Philadelphians to receive mental health or substance-abuse
treatment. According to the Mayor’s Office, almost 40,000 of them are using
these services. Statewide, 140,000 people have used the Medicaid expansion for
addiction treatment since 2015, the Wolf administration estimates. And
nationwide, Medicaid expenditures on opioid-blocking medications such as
naltrexone, which many low-income people rely on to kick their addiction,
increased tenfold in 2016, according to an Urban Institute report. The demand
for such treatment shows no signs of slowing down.

About Matt

An analysis of crime and punishment from the perspective of a former prosecutor and current criminal justice practitioner.
The views expressed on this blog are solely those of the author and do not reflect the opinions or postions of any county, state or federal agency.